The Irish standard., 1887-05-07

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tiles of themselves, was able to collect
an overwhelming mass of evidence by
which it is proved that the period with
! in which it was customary to raise quo
dam puzzles was not earlier than the
fifth, and little later than the twelfth
centuries. He further shows that, be
sides being used as belfries, they con-
stituted the treasury, or place of
strength and security, Of the monastery
to which they were attached. 1t has
been stated by another writer (Colonol
de Montmorencey) that in Egypt and
Syria the tower of the convent is looked
upon as the keep or safe Gin which the
bishops and the monks preserve the
sacred vases, holy relics, books, records,
and all other valuafles of their monas-
tery and orders. At the approach of an
enemy these reverend persons retired
within the security of the tower, carry
ing their shrines of gold, of silver and
of precious stones along with them. -
The Irish tower, taking the probable
period of it's erection into the account,
was considered by the Colonel one OF
the completest inventions as a defen-
sive hold Although" said he, 1.-THE
sacred walls Of the venerable abbey IL
lumed IN their contlagrations the heav-
ems around, the tower disregarded the
torch of the impious destroyer" The
Eastern towers were quadrangular, not
round like ours; but nearly every Gel
tic structure Of antiquity, except the
church, was, in plan, more or less Cir
cular or oval.
Few but antiqlaries are aware of the
extent of room usually presented by our
towers. which are far from being the
simple building usually supposed. AS
a rule they were divided by foorings
into six or seven apartments, with aper-
lures for the admission of light and air
in the walls of each. The top story had
generally four lights; sometimes a
greater number are found, and come
times only two. Each apartment
could accommodate, with comfort, for
day or two, at least nine or ten re-
cluses. The doorway was placed, al
most invariably, at considerable
height above the ground. 1t is of a size
to admit the passage Of only one person
at a time, and might be defended by a
single man against host. The same
may be said of the entrances to the
Egyptian and Syrian keeps.
From the Free Press for the 18th
of August, ITS, we learn that the ruins
of the old Church of St. Michael of the
Pool remained up to the beginning of
the reign of Queen Anne. In 1905, DIR.
Jones, an eminent teacher OF Latin,
who resided in Ship street, succeeded
in procuring from the paurons Of the
parish permission to rebuild the vener-
able walls, and convert the same into a
schoolhouse. The building under THESE
circumstances constructed is described
as "a large and lofty schoolroom, with
three small rooms at the end, and a
flight of stairs in the tower, leading to
the two upper rooms. The same paper
states that the ruin of the tower was
prevented about forty years previously,
when that structure was scaffolded
from the ground, and we'll pinned with
lime and stone within and without,
(which thorough repairing ever since
preserved from falling"
By the conditions of his agreement
with the parish authorities, or patrons,
DR.. Jones was obliged to respect the
tower-to meddle Will, it being twice
prohibited by THEM. DR.. Jones was
succeeded as master of the school by a
Mr.. Evans, latter whose promotion to
a country living" says the Free
Press, sit lay waste for a few years,
until it was put in order for the ingen-
lous DR.. Dunkin, in 1888, who was sue
ceeded by his usher, DR.. Ball, the very
worthy master in 177S.''
We have seen that in 1881 the tower
was pulled down. DR.. jones' school
house is now the Widows Aims
House of St. Brides parish.
1 am glad to say that Mr.. M; son, the
eminent optician and Photographic
artist, of Parliment street, has recently
been engaged in securing views of a
number of the less known remains of
old Dublin. His collection would be
far from complete were he to omit a
plate of the round tower of st. Michael
le Pole.-W. F. Wakeman, in Dublin
Evening Telegraph.
1t appears that the total of archiepis-
copal and Episcopal Sees in the British
Empire is between a seventh and
eighth of the entire episcopate of the
Church. The Catholic population of
the British Empire is estimated at
9,682, 900, half of which belongs to Great
Britain and Ireland. In Australasia
alone there are 568, 900 Catholics.
Agent Cheeny, of the Cheyenne
agency, has ordered all the cattlemen
off the reservation. They will have
till May 81 to 60, after which date force